Director of Medicinal Chemist

Overview As a core member of our early drug discovery team, you will lead small-molecule medicinal chemistry projects against novel targets, advancing programs from hit identification to preclinical candidate nomination. You will apply medicinal chemistry principles to design, synthesize, and optimize compounds to elucidate structure-activity relationships (SAR) and develop breakthrough therapies, leveraging in vitro and cross-functional platforms. Location: Shanghai, China Key Responsibilities 1. Act as a project lead or core member to develop and execute medicinal chemistry strategies, driving early-stage discovery projects toward key milestones. 2. Design and synthesize novel small-molecule compounds based on in vitro activity, selectivity, and structural biology data, systematically optimizing their physicochemical properties and drug-like characteristics. 3. Integrate multidisciplinary data to lead SAR and structure-property relationship (SPR) studies, utilizing computational chemistry tools to guide iterative compound design. 4. Collaborate closely with in vitro pharmacology, biochemistry, DMPK, and safety/toxicology teams to establish an efficient R&D cycle and jointly address key project challenges. 5. Ensure efficient and safe laboratory operations, mentor junior researchers, and actively introduce new technologies and methodologies to enhance medicinal chemistry R&D efficiency.